Ouchies · Pet care note

First day with an Ouchies puppy

What the glowing cheeks mean

An Ouchies puppy comes out of the carrier limping, with its head down and its cheeks lit. That glow is the pet telling you it hurts. It stays on until the paw has been treated.

Making the cast

Set a small bowl of water on the vet tray, which is the carrier flipped over. Fit the splint to the sore leg. Dip a paper bandage, wrap it round the splint and smooth it down. A few layers make a cast that sets firm, and there are 20 bandages in the box, so there is room for mistakes.

Decorate, wait, remove

While it dries, the cast can be drawn on. When the puppy is better, take the cast off: the head lifts, the cheeks go out and the puppy walks by itself with a happy tune.

The smaller vet kits

Chirpy the Chick and Coco the Hamster work from vet cards. The card gives a clue, the child chooses the thermometer, the medicine, the ice pack or the cast, and a happy sound confirms the right answer. After a while the pet feels poorly again and the clinic reopens.